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June 5, 2018

4 Canned Cocktails for a Spirited Summer

By Erin James

Easy, breezy, carefree: summer should be all of those things and more, and Northwest producers have fulfilled those requirements with canned cocktails for the ultimate in summer drink relaxation. Though it can be fun playing bartender, it might not always be the most favorable role to take on while on a boat, at the beach or in a campsite. When drinking goes al fresco for the season, try one of these four cocktails that are as easy to throw in a cooler and chill as they are to pop a top and enjoy.

Photo courtesy Ocean Blu

Ocean Blu Coastal Berry | $10 CAD/6-pack
More than just a canned, ready-to-drink cocktail, this blueberry-flavored vodka soda also donates 25 cents from every six-pack sold to environmental initiatives supporting oceans, waters and marine life. The drink is an effort in partnership with British Columbia-based Ocean Wise, a not-for-profit organization focused on healthy and flourishing oceans. It has no sugar added either — all the sweetness is from the berries, making it a full-flavored, feel-good, 100-calorie drink for a cause.

Photo courtesy Novo Fogo

Novo Fogo Sparkling Caipirinha | $12/4-pack
Seattle-based Novo Fogo produces its cachaças — the sugarcane-based distillate of Brazil — at its USDA-certified distillery in Brazil, and brings a taste of South America to the first-ever sparkling caipirinha in a can. As simple and straightforward as cachaça, lime, sugar and bubbles, this sweet and sumptuous gets a kick of citrus to lift up the full-bodied cocktail. For extra zest, pour over ice and add a squeeze of lime.

Photo courtesy Pilot House Distilling

Pilot House Distilling Astoria Mary | $20/4-pack
Oregon’s first pre-mixed canned cocktail was created at this distillery in Astoria on the shores of the mighty Columbia River. Featuring the house-made Bloody Knuckles Mary mix, the distillery’s spicy jalapeño-lime vodka is melded with the flavorsome mix and pours smooth and piquant first thing in the morning. Ideal for taking your camping to glamping in just a few seconds, the spicy, savory cocktail will wake you right up.

Photo courtesy Half-Seas

Half-Seas Sparkling Cocktails Bramble | $18/4-pack
From the team at Seattle’s Scrappy’s Bitters comes the new canned cocktail line of Half-Seas. Inspired by a 1700s sailor term “half-seas over” — an expression used to explain the pleasures of drinking — the brand touts three selections, including the Bramble, a classic 1980s British gin cocktail that mixes London-dry gin with berries and citrus. Plugged with carbonation and pure cane syrup, the cocktail is fully fruited with ample sweetness, best showcased when ice cold or poured on the rocks.